Mama Mirabelle’s Home Movies celebrates Earth Day

National Geographic's children's series Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies will air an episode inspired by Earth Day. I got a sneak peak of the episode "Kings and Queens of the Savannah" which will air on local PBS stations this weekend.

Here's the info from the show itself:

This special episode celebrates Earth Day by celebrating the circle of life. It emphasizes the important balance in nature and how every animal plays a role in maintaining that balance, from the bee that pollinates the flower to the elephant that eats leaves from the trees. When Mama overhears Bo, Karla and Max having a discussion about who the true king or queen of the savanna might be, she takes them on a nature walk and shows the kids that every animal, no matter how big or small plays an important role in nature.

I'd never seen Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies before so I wasn't sure what age group the kid's show targets. It is definitely for the preschool set. The show does very simply explains the circle of plant life in the savannah to children. It teaches how bugs, birds, and animals all have a role to play in how plant life grows and how each creature is very important for the circle of life to keep repeating itself. 

The show only focuses on the circle of plant life. There are no animals eating animals mentioned in this show. In fact, one of the main characters is a cheetah, and it is never mentioned that the cheetah would be participating in the circle of life by eating some of his friends. I suppose this is because the program is aimed at the youngest viewers, but if you do watch it with older children, the carnivorous part of the circle of life might get mentioned when the show is done.

If you're looking for something to watch together with your little ones this weekend to help them understand a little more about nature, this would be a good choice. Earth Day is not specifically mentioned in the program, but that's just fine. Educating children about the earth shouldn't be left to just one day out of the year.

You can check your local PBS listings to find out when Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies airs on your station.